In the spirit of this Thanksgiving week, I would like to share two of the many things for which I am thankful professionally.

The first thing I am thankful for is that in the recent grant cycle, the Oostburg Community Education Foundation (OCEF) Board approved funding for six grants from Oostburg School District teachers in the amount of $20, 010. The specific grants include:

1. $5000 for Chrome books at the Elementary School/4th grade.2. $500 for a classroom library for K. Krier’s classroom3. $350 for books for higher readers in J. Davies classroom.4. $400 for books for the HS Strategic Reading class and J. Nyenhuis’ classroom.5. $760 for a Chrome Cast projection display project in T. Hendrikse’ room.6. $13,000 for a Laser Engraver for Tech. Ed. to develop a FabLab.

Thank you to the members of the OCEF Board and everyone who supports OCEF. This money does not fall from the sky; it is due to the hard work of people who care about the young people of Oostburg and their education. The resources provided by these grants—as well as all of the grants that OCEF has provided over the years—help us to serve students better. Thanks for your efforts and generosity on behalf of our teachers and students.

The second thing I am thankful for are the people I work with every day. While I don’t have the ability to make comparisons between our staff and those from other districts, because I have spent my entire career in Oostburg, it is abundantly clear that our staff really cares very much about our students, school and community. Working with people every day allows me to see firsthand how committed people are to their work, how willing they are to meet challenges and work together to constantly improve, and how much their actions show they care about the learning and success of each of their students. I would just like parents to know from someone who is here at school every day, that while we are not anywhere near perfect, your children’s teachers are working hard and really care about the success of your children. I am thankful to be part of a quality team, and I am proud of our staff for how much they care about our students and school.

School District of Oostburg

“The mission of the Oostburg School District is to ensure all students learn at high levels so they can become productive and positive contributors to society and the world.”

No person may be denied admission to any public school in the district or be denied participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be discriminated against in any curricular, co-curricular, student services, recreational or other program or activity because of the person’s sex, race, color, national origin, ancestry, creed, religion, pregnancy, marital or parental status, sexual orientation, handicap or physical, mental, emotional or learning disability in the educational programs or activities operated by the School District of Oostburg.